TWD - Tarte Fine; Finale for HCB and Paul Newman's Tortellini with Chicken

Leslie of Lethally Delicious decided on the Tarte Fine on page 315 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking, From My Home to Yours for this week. Leslie chose this week's dessert out of the kindness of her heart for what her friends here on Tuesdays with Dorie could easily purchase on a budget, no matter where he or she lives. I always enjoy reading her blog because of the sweet lady she is. Today, you even get to meet her co-author Pearl, so click on over to see Dorie's recipe posted on Leslie's site along with Leslie's own Tarte Fine.

I horde Whole Food's Dufour puff pastry and have been known to pet the frozen pastry without taking it out of the freezer for several months. We never use this pastry on just any recipe . . . especially at $9 + a package. I really enjoy the buttery perfection Dufour creates in this little one sheet of pastry package.

Dorie's section to the right on "Playing Around" was put into effect when creating my apple Tarte Fine. We enjoyed the extra butter and sugar sprinkled throughout, especially since my Golden Delicious apples still had a slightly tart taste to them.

In my Heavenly Cake Baker's group, I learned to use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds in an apple. The ease, precision, and no waste has me hooked on the scoop method and I have never looked back.

I used my mandolin for slicing the apples into thin pieces; of course, I forgot to take a picture to show off the ease and efficiency when using a mandolin. Another piece of kitchen equipment I could not see myself living without.

Would you believe I added aluminum foil for the edges?

Thank you Leslie for picking out a beautiful Fall treat, centered on ease and baked with love.

For my Heavenly Cake Baker's group finale, the cake slicing and tasting. First word to come to mind is "rich", followed by "deep chocolate", then "crumbly". My step-son enjoyed his 18th year birthday cake as breakfast but what an adrenaline rush after one slice plus a cup of coffee. My slice was half of the one you see in the picture above and I could just "feel" my heart speeding along.

I did have a few air pockets in the cake. The chocolate ganache is rich and delicious too. Only half of the cake was eaten; the rest is in the freezer, waiting to be broken down into chunks and added into a freshly made container of vanilla ice cream.



For dinner we made Paul Newman's tortellini with chicken. I received Paul Newman's cookbook as a freebie when I ordered Dom Deluise's original Italian cookbook. I assumed the cookbooks would be full of cliche' recipes. I was wrong, in fact, I have been enjoying not only the recipes but the stories going along with to introduce each section or individual recipe.

The tortellini with chicken was the first recipe we have tried so far, AND I have many marked to be tried soon.

I thought I would share:
Tortellini with Chicken
(Paul Newman's Own Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. butter
3 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
1 T. dried tarragon or thyme or 2 T. fresh tarragon or thyme
Flour for dredging
2 - 3 cups Newman's Own spaghetti sauce or homemade spaghetti sauce
10 ounces cheese or meat tortellini, prepared according to package directions
Chopped parsley for garnish


Directions:
Saute onion in butter until limp and set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and tarragon if desired. Dredge in flour and saute in pan used to saute onion for about 5 - 7 minutes. Add onions, spaghetti sauce, and tortellini. Stir together, heating thoroughly for 5 - 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

CEiMB Thursday - Salmon Cakes with Ginger-Sesame Sauce and a Polynesian Shrimp Salad

I have been to the CEiMB home page about 6 times in the last month. Do I join or don't I? I bought Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave cookbook over 2 months ago and have definitely flipped through the pages and tabbed half the recipes to "try soon" BUT have not tried any to date (except for today's recipe). Several days ago I sat down in front of the computer and knew today was the day I wanted to start. I really enjoy how Ellie puts recipes together, cutting out a large amount of calories, but not taking away the flavor.

My first dinner with CEiMB was a great way to start. Sarah of Sarah's Kitchen Adventures (Gorgeous header photo Sarah) chose Salmon Cakes with Creamy Sesame-Ginger Sauce. I cut the recipe in half because there were just the two of us eating tonight and used Bumble Bee Salmon in the little 5 oz. cans. A first for me using canned salmon. Great flavor (I was pleasantly surprised) and the chestnuts added a wonderful crunch plus the scallions gave added color. Ellie was absolutely correct about the dipping sauce! I could see dipping veggies or anything else, including my finger, in the sesame-ginger sauce. We loved it.



My only negative point to add is, for some reason, my patties were on the dry side. I had trouble keeping the patties together, especially when flipping them gingerly in the pan. Crazy. =) Thank you Sarah for the wonderful selection and for hosting this week. We really enjoyed our dinner! To get the recipe for the salmon patties, go to Sarah's beautiful blog and/or buy Ellie's Cookbook.



To go with the salmon patties and dipping sauce, we made a Polynesian Shrimp Salad with just a hint of mild yellow curry powder, pineapple chunks and the reserved juice. Summer time and cold salads go hand-and-hand.

Polynesian Shrimp Salad
Serves 6 (20 min. + chilling to Make)

Ingredients:
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups cooked medium pasta shells
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper



Directions:
Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup juice; set pineapple aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, curry powder, salt, pepper and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in mayonnaise and sour cream.

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, pasta, water chestnuts, red pepper and reserved pineapple. Add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

TWD - Oatmeal Breakfast Bread with Pecan & Caramel Milk Chocolate Chunks and Maybe a little Dinner

I have been playing with homemade granola recipes all week and completely spaced on baking Tuesdays with Dorie's Oatmeal Breakfast Bread until Monday afternoon. I loved the idea of the bread but wanted handle-able small loaves; so why not miniature loaves. Then I looked at the dried fruit, sighed, and just couldn't. The double-batch of granola and me nibbling incessantly on said granola has wore out my chewing muscles . . . Layman's terms: My jaw is sore; strange dilemma. My inspiration for a substitution came from me digging through my hoarding secret spot (you know you have one too, smile, wink, wink) and finding a bar of Pecan & Caramel milk chocolate waiting to be broken into chunks. Perfect since the topping also has pecans.

The batter was enough to fill 7 little loaf pans. Too cute! Imagination and plating seemed to be exceptionally hard for me to handle tonight so here we are in all our glory.

New dilemma, You know you are tired "when" you slice the bread as mentioned by Dorie and look at the toaster, then look at your miniature slice and FINALLY see how the toaster will eat the itty bitty slice of bread if you drop it in. I do not see toasting in my immediate future.

Thank you Natalie of Oven Love (cute name for a blog!) for hosting this week and picking the Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. We love the bread and will get to share with my parents, who are visiting from Arizona. I can not wait to check out the rest of the group's loaves and if you want the recipe, click on Natalie's blog link or, better yet, Buy Dorie's cookbook. Don't forget to check out the Dorie baker list to see the rest of the groups gorgeous loaves!

Dinner was even spacey for me tonight so I semi-cheated but thought I would share because the dinner ended up delicious, which is still beyond comprehension.

I made Thai Chicken Fettuccine and the whole dinner took less then 20 minutes to make. I bought a package of handmade Pappardelle pasta (the company is out of Seattle) a week earlier and have been looking at the package in the refrigerator, waiting for it to speak to me. Nothing; "and" I had half a jar of salsa leftover, 1 orange, a bunch of cilantro screaming to be used and boneless chicken breasts in the freezer - SO, throw in a little creamy peanut butter and we have the Thai Chicken Fettuccine recipe.

I also cheated and used a package of Thai Shrimp Gyoza from the freezer section at Trader Joes. How could I possibly pass up a package that Clearly states the Gyoza was handmade in Thailand? I had to make my own sauce though.

THAI CHICKEN FETTUCCINE

(made 4 servings)

* 3/4 cup salsa

* 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

* 2 tablespoons orange juice

* 2 tablespoons honey

* 2 teaspoon soy sauce

* 8 to 10 ounces uncooked pappardelle pasta

* 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

* 1 tablespoon canola oil

* 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

* 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions:

* For sauce, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Set aside.

* Cook pappardelle according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Add red pepper; cook and stir until crisp-tender.

* Drain pappardelle; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Dinner: Smoked Salmon Pasta Pomodorini and BBQ Meatloaf Sandwiches on Onion Sourdough

Dinner NEEDS to have a growing, learning approach in my kitchen. Otherwise boredom sets in and Larry is looking at opening a bag of Top Ramen for dinner. I want to use flavors incorporating seasonal vegetables, especially with having my own garden this year. I get such a kick going out and picking peas, heirloom and cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, potatoes (okay, I dig those up), and soon, green beans. Love the colors, making dinner just as fun to make as it is to eat!

We also love both our charcoal double barrel grill for smoke/roasting and for grilling along with the propane grill with a searing grate. I am "not" one of the few die-hard grilling aficionados who grill during all seasons. Late spring, summer and early (no-rain) fall . . . grill. Rain, snow, freezing cold . . . that is what a kitchen stove is for.

Dinner started out with Spicy Apricot Wings. The wings were marinated in my homemade apricot preserves, along with other spices for 36 hours. I was waiting for the rain to stop BECAUSE the whole idea behind the wings was to grill them over natural briquettes AND apple wood chips. Never happened! I had to bake them instead.


The recipe originally came from Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book with a few adaptions from me.

Spicy Apricot Wings

1 1/4 c. apricot preserves

1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 T. low sodium soy sauce

2 T. + 2 t. Dijon mustard

1 T. salt

4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. freshly minced garlic

1 T. paprika

1 t. cayenne powder

1/2 t. ground ginger

10 whole chicken wings, cut into wings and drumettes

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients, except chicken, and whisk until well blended. Place the chicken wings in a shallow dish, or sealable plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the wings. Cover, or seal, turn to coat, and marinade the wings in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to overnight.

Build a fire using hickory, apricot or apple wood, or a combination of wood and charcoal. Leave half of the grill empty, and place coals and/or wood on the other half, for indirect heat.

When the temperature reaches 450 degrees F., remove the wings from the marinade without shaking off excess marinade, and place them on the empty half of the grill. Close the lid, and cook for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, flipping each wing piece once halfway through. Remove the wings from the grill, and serve.

Dinner was Smoke Salmon Pasta Pomodorini and BBQ Meatloaf Sandwiches on onion sourdough.


BBQ Meat Loaf Sandwiches

(adapted from Weber's Way to Grill book)

1 1/4 pounds (80 percent lean) ground beef

1 1/4 pounds ground pork

2 c. Panko bread crumbs

1 c. finely chopped sweet onion

1 large egg

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 t. granulated garlic

1 t. dried tarragon

1 t. salt

1 t. freshly ground pepper

1 c. bottled BBQ sauce (I used Stubbs spicy BBQ sauce)

2/4 c. ketchup

Directions:

In a large bowl, using your hands, gently combine ground beef, pork, bread crumbs, onion, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper. Divide the meat loaf mixture in half, form into 2 loaves, each about 4- by 7- inches (aluminum loaf pan size), and place on a baking sheet. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat, about 300 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix the BBQ sauce and ketchup. Top each meat loaf with 3 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce, coating thoroughly, and reserve remaining sauce for later.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Using a metal spatula, gently pick up each loaf from the sheet pan, and place directly on the cooking grate. Grill the meat loaves over in-direct medium-low heat, with the lid closed, until a thermometer inserted horizontally through the top of each loaf registers 155 degrees F., approximately 50 to 60 minutes. Remove the loaves from the grill, and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Once removed from the grill, the loaves will continue to cook, so allow them to reach the recommended 160 degrees F. Cut the loaves into 1/2-inch slices, and serve with the reserved sauce.

To make meat loaf sandwiches, cut the meat loaf into the 1/2-inch slices, and slather both sides with reserved BBQ sauce. Grill over direct low heat (250-350 degrees), with the lid closed as much as possible, for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once. (I had rain happening so pulled out my panini grill to finish toasting the sandwiches.) Serve on onion sour dough bread with provolone cheese.

Smoked Salmon Pasta Pomodorini

(adapted from a recipe found in Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking Cookbook)

Cherry tomatoes have a way of multiplying in the garden when your back is turned. The more you pick, the more there are.

Serves: Serves 4
3/4 pound spaghettini or spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup sliced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced Calabrian chilies, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pint small cherry tomatoes, stems removed, crushed between your thumb and forefinger
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, each torn into 2 or 3 pieces
1/2 lb smoked salmon, shredded into larger pieces
Wedge of Parmesan cheese ready to grate over pasta dish


Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta.

While the pasta cooks, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook until the slivers are golden brown and crisp, then add the chilies and cook for about 30 seconds. Raise the heat to high and add the tomatoes. Simmer briskly to soften the tomatoes and thicken the juices, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

When the pasta is al dente, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the warm pot off the heat. Add the sauce, smoked salmon, and the basil and mix well. Add some of the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and grate Parmesan over the top to taste. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Serve immediately.

Chicken in White Wine Served Over Pappardelle Pasta

The wine world is in-depth and always changing. Learning to find what your palate savors is a continual learning experience, shaped and hone through practice, practice, practice and BOY what FUN! I am finding that cooking with wines and other spirits is an eye-opening experience. My cooking hero, Julia Child, delved into this world with relish and enthusiasm. I have tried her braised pearl onions in a wine sauce and let me tell you . . . OMGoodness, close your eyes and savor . . . Delicious! Now put those wine braised onions in Julia's boeuf bourguignon and the flavors just intertwine and scream breath-taking delicious. One of those meals where sitting at the table and enjoying every bite is the only place to be.

With that said, this recipe for chicken in a white wine sauce is cooked in an un-oaked Chardonnay from the Washington Columbia Winery. The grapes in the wine came from Yakima, WA. The recipe was created for this wine but any good Chardonnay with little to know oak flavor will work perfectly, the label on some Chardonnays will inform the reader on the nuances of the wine.Chicken in White Wine Served Over Pappardelle Pasta

Ingredients:

1 3.5 - 4 pound whole chicken, washed, patted dry and cut into portions (or I will use chicken thighs and legs instead)
4 shallots, peeled and diced
8 oz. white mushrooms, washed, dried, and sliced
6 T. unsalted butter
1 bottle dry white wine, preferably Columbia Winery Chardonnay
1 t. French mustard
1 Garni Bouquet (1 bay leaf/1 sprig thyme, 2 sprigs rosemary/8 sprigs parsley)
1 T. Extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
4 slices bacon, cut into matchsticks
2 T. cognac
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch chives, chopped
4 pinches freshly grated nutmeg
1 t. sugar
1 c. flour, for dredging

Directions:

Dredge chicken pieces in flour, shaking off excess. Heat the butter in a 5 quart pot. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, saving the grease. If oil is needed, add EVOO. Add shallots, cook until translucent, then add mushrooms and cook until soft; add some white wine and cook 1 minute, remove mushrooms and set aside. In the same pan, cook the chicken pieces on all sides until golden but not brown, Moisten with 3 - 4 tablespoons white wine. When evaporated, add another 3 - 4 tablespoons of white wine. Continue cooking in this manner, over simmering heat, for 40 minutes, turning chicken as needed. If necessary, add warm chicken stock to keep moist.

After 40 minutes, sprinkle with cognac, ignite and shake the pot gently until flames subside.

Remove the chicken.

Pour in balance of white wine and stir in Garni Bouquet, garlic, nutmeg, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce sauce by one half by open boiling.

Mix mustard with the cream and pour into the sauce, stirring well. Add mushroom mixture and re-add the chicken portions, adjust seasonings. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, adding warm chicken stock as needed to prevent burning.

In the meantime, start your water for the pasta, following the directions on the pasta package.

Remove the cooked chicken pieces from the pot and arrange on a serving platter. Remove Garni Bouquet and let the sauce boil over high heat for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Pour sauce over chicken and Pappardelle pasta; serve with chopped parsley and chives.

Goldmeyer Hot Springs 2 Day Hike; Dinner Menu: Sour Cream Cheese Puffs, Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti and a Heath Bar Pound Cake

7 of us started hiking towards Goldmeyer Hot spring in Washington state this past Saturday for a 2 day hike. 1 of the hikers was only hiking part way for the day hike only. Our plan for the hike started out as 5 miles in, set up camp, soak in the natural hot springs, make dinner, play cards and talk, wake up the next morning, re-soak in the hot springs, pack up camp and hike back 5 miles to the vehicles.

Funny how life and nature have a way of their own!A 5 mile section of the road was closed due to road wash-outs just before the hiking trail began. We did not know this since the closure was not posted. Second, if following the closed road all the way to the Goldmeyer Hot springs site, the hike would have been an additional 5 miles. Well, this is a hike and we felt the road would not be as scenic as the trail. Come to find out, again not posted, the trail was about 10 miles long (alone) and washed out by previous ragging rivers from floods in the past! What was suppose to be a leisurely 5 hour hike turned into a 8 hour hike Saturday. The weather WAS perfect for hiking and our scenery provided by nature could not have been any more gorgeous but many of us were carrying a 40 to 45 pound backpack for the first time along with conquering boulders, fallen old growth trees and slippery rivers that had washed through the path. Some of us carried hiking poles; I did not and now know better!We all stayed in good humor and worked to keep each other's focus positive and happy. Our bodies were beyond fatigued but what we saw in our surroundings was awe-inspiring and memories I will keep with me forever! Some of the downed timbers we had to either climb over, under or around were gigantic monuments to nature. Even though we were all grumbling towards the end for each new tree we had to maneuver because of aching muscles, we never lost track of the beauty we were surrounded by.
Some of our bridges were chipped out of these old, amazing trees.When we finally "did" arrive towards the end of our 1st day of hiking (amazing how we all gained our third or fourth wind at this point) we had to scale 3 logs. Where each log ended, the next one began for us to balance on while crossing a river bed.By now, it is evening. We started driving towards our hike at 6:45 in the morning, arrived at a carpool junction by 7:45, started out as a combined group in several cars and arrived at our hiking destination by 9:30 and actually started hiking by 10 a.m. When we arrived at the hot springs, we were look at around 6:15 p.m. All of us pitched together and set up camp first. Then, after checking in, made the last 1/4 mile hike up a steep hillside to get to the hot springs. Without our backpacks, we must have flew up the hill because I honestly do not remember struggling to get to our destination: Sitting in pools of hot water to soak our sorry muscles. The pools were a little smaller then I thought they were going to be but all 3 pools were etched in the rock with one pool actually in a cave setting.The pools are hard to see here but I was getting to tired to take pictures, sorry. Below is the changing area.Next to where we were soaking, there was a steep river/waterfall with huge boulders along the river path and loud, rushing water. This picture is way at the top and to the side of the river. Back at camp on Sunday, we had endured rain overnight and all our belongings were wet. Carrying everything back meant another heavy load because of being soaked. We may have done this hike a little to early in the year.We were not allowed to have a campfire and the only way to cook was by propane heat. Needless to say, Sunday, all of us were pretty cold until we started out hike home. I would also like to add that none of the group had any problem hiking the road back to our vehicles. We still had a 5 hour hike in the pouring rain with our sore muscles lugging heavy backpacks but we knew we were headed HOME! The adventure was amazing and even though we learned what endurance truly was for each of us personally, I still believe we were all happy that we made this trip.

DINNER:
Dinner menus are what help me stay organized in the kitchen. I try to make my menus out the week ahead but leave myself open to try something else if the mood strikes. The mood strikes quite often, which is okay because I just keep my meals in the list and make them as I get to them.

Dinner:

Appetizers

~ Sour Cream Cheese Puffs

Main Course

~ Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti tossed in minced Garlic and Sweet,Fruity Olive Oil

Tomato and Onion Salad

French Garlic Bread

Dessert

~ Heath Bar Pound Cake

Sour Cream Cheese Puffs

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese,softened
1 c sour cream
1/3 c finely chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 c finely chopped onion
2 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tubes (12 oz.ea.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 c minced fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a small bowl,beat cream cheese,sour cream,red pepper,onion,lemon juice,dill and pepper till blended.
Cut each biscuit in half horizontally;press into greased miniature muffin cups. Place rounded Tbs. of cream cheese mixture in each cup.
Bake at 375 for 14-16 mins. or till golden brown.Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve warm.

Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti tossed in minced Garlic and Sweet, Fruit Olive Oil

Spicy Shrimp:
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Coarse salt, about 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons (a couple of generous drizzles) extra-virgin olive oil
Aglio Olio:
1/4 cup (4 turns around the pan in a light stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 (2-ounce) tin anchovy fillets
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
Coarse salt
1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Directions:

Combine shrimp with next 6 ingredients and toss to coat shrimp evenly.
Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat, then add half of the shrimp. Cook shrimp 3 minutes until pink and just firm. Remove shrimp to a warm platter and repeat process with remaining shrimp.
Return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium low. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes to oil. Break up anchovies with a wooden spoon until they melt away into the oil and garlic mixture.
Toss spaghetti in the pan with parsley and the garlic oil, then season with a little coarse salt, to your taste. Top servings of garlic and oil spaghetti with spicy shrimp and serve with Tomato and Onion Salad and Crusty Bread.
Cook's Notes: Prepare the shrimp while the pasta is cooking.
Prep your garlic and parsley for aglio olio and set them, as well as drained pasta and remaining ingredients all within arm's reach of your stove top.
The aroma will be intense! Cooked anchovies have a salted-nutty (rather than fishy) taste that compliments the garlic as it sweetens and softens.

Tomato and Onion Salad

Ingredients:

5 medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, gently seeded, and thinly sliced
1 small white skinned onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
A generous drizzle extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons
Coarse salt and black pepper

Directions:

Toss the tomatoes and onions with the chopped parsley, oil, salt, and pepper. Let stand while you prepare dinner, about 20 minutes. Re-toss and serve salad with crusty bread for mopping up juices and oil.

Heath Bar Pound Cake

Note: This recipe is delicious but I forgot to take pictures and I feel just terrible about it. I will have to bake this again and come back to post the pictures =o)~!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

4 oz. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 heath bar-ground in food processor or blender

¼ cup light brown sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix butter, cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; stir together. Add flour; mix well. Combine ground heath bar with brown sugar. Grease glass loaf dish with butter; coat bottom and sides with sugar mixture. Pour batter into loaf dish; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven one hour to one hour and ten minutes until knife "just" comes out clean.